Solar How To: How Solar Power Works on a Small Scale
http://www.homesaaz.net/articles/6727/1/Solar-How-To-How-Solar-Power-Works-on-a-Small-Scale/Page1.html
Sean Burton
Video instructions for your next solar project. Solar, How. information is free and available to you. By Sean Burton
Published on 10/31/2008
Solar power is quickly becoming a viable source of household electricity around the world. PV cells produce solar panels. Using a single solar panel produces about 12 volts of direct current and may help reduce utility costs in a small way. Solar panels may be wired together to create a solar array.
Solar power isn't a newly created idea to help reduce CO2 emissions. The first solar power research began in the early 1950s. In the 1970s, President Carter started promoting a renewable energy source. The 1980s and 1990s saw several breakthroughs in solar energy production. Some predict that half of the world's households will rely in part on solar power by 2015.
Campgrounds and RV parking areas often supply electrical outlets for use by campers and travelers. A small, inexpensive solar panel can be built for about $300 and used as a mobile unit or attached to an RV. With the economic worries of 2007-2008 showing little chance for reprieve, those who enjoy camping and travel are seeking more dependable sources of power for electronic devices.
Solar power is quickly becoming a viable source of household electricity around the world. What began as an environmentally sound move by people who are concerned about the environment is becoming mainstream practice. Solar energy is the most talked-about alternative to fossil fuel. The sun produces more than 10,000 times the amount of power used in the world per year. The two types of solar power that are considered the most are solar electric and solar thermal.
Solar Thermal
The basic idea behind solar thermal is that the sun heats water that gets circulated through the home or office. The water helps maintain the temperature of the space. A glycol solution or water is circulated through heat exchangers. The sun heats the liquid and the exchangers help cycle the water through the home or office. Brick, stone, asphalt and concrete also hold a great amount of heat and release it slowly over time. Solar how to websites cover a wide range of information including solar thermal.
Solar Electric Power
Electricity is produced using power from the sun by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. A chemical reaction caused when the sun hits the PV cells creates electricity. The PV cells are made of smaller cells. In order to produce a useful amount of electricity, cells are combined to create solar panels. The combined amount of electricity produced by each cell produces a specific amount of electricity. The resulting electricity can be stored in batteries or used as it's produced.
PV cells produce solar panels. Using a single solar panel produces about 12 volts of direct current and may help reduce utility costs in a small way. Solar panels may be wired together to create a solar array. The more solar panels used per project, the more power will be stored or used. The amount and intensity of sunlight, cloud cover and other weather conditions may affect the amount of power produced by solar panels.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "What happens on cloudy days?" Cloudy days can indeed decrease the amount of power your solar panels produce. Because of this, it is highly recommended that your home remain connected to the company that provides electricity in your area. When your panels produce an excess of power, your utility bill will be reduced. When they do not produce enough power, you will still be covered by your local utility company.
Solar Powered Planet
The sun is about 93 million miles from Earth. Solar power and solar energy are not new concepts. Our planet has used solar energy since the beginning of time. Without solar energy, life on Earth would not exist. The absence of solar energy would mean no plants, heat, food or people. The creation of products and technologies to help mankind harness some of that power was inevitable. Solar energy may even help reduce or reverse the decline of natural resources caused by fossil fuels.
While it is true that present manufacturing of solar components uses fossil fuels, the day is quickly coming when fossil fuels will be removed from the equation. As it stands now, use of fossil fuels are helping produce products that emit no pollution. The manufacturing process will be redefined as time allows.
Is Solar Right for You?
Each person has to make that decision on their own. Do your research on solar. How would it affect your quality of life? How would it impact your finances? Does your current location receive enough sunlight to allow proper function of solar panels? These questions and many more will help you make the decision. In the meantime, many utility companies are researching solar and finding ways to implement it on a much broader scale.
Campgrounds and RV parking areas often supply electrical outlets for use by campers and travelers. A small, inexpensive solar panel can be built for about $300 and used as a mobile unit or attached to an RV. With the economic worries of 2007-2008 showing little chance for reprieve, those who enjoy camping and travel are seeking more dependable sources of power for electronic devices.
Solar power is quickly becoming a viable source of household electricity around the world. What began as an environmentally sound move by people who are concerned about the environment is becoming mainstream practice. Solar energy is the most talked-about alternative to fossil fuel. The sun produces more than 10,000 times the amount of power used in the world per year. The two types of solar power that are considered the most are solar electric and solar thermal.
Solar Thermal
The basic idea behind solar thermal is that the sun heats water that gets circulated through the home or office. The water helps maintain the temperature of the space. A glycol solution or water is circulated through heat exchangers. The sun heats the liquid and the exchangers help cycle the water through the home or office. Brick, stone, asphalt and concrete also hold a great amount of heat and release it slowly over time. Solar how to websites cover a wide range of information including solar thermal.
Solar Electric Power
Electricity is produced using power from the sun by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. A chemical reaction caused when the sun hits the PV cells creates electricity. The PV cells are made of smaller cells. In order to produce a useful amount of electricity, cells are combined to create solar panels. The combined amount of electricity produced by each cell produces a specific amount of electricity. The resulting electricity can be stored in batteries or used as it's produced.
PV cells produce solar panels. Using a single solar panel produces about 12 volts of direct current and may help reduce utility costs in a small way. Solar panels may be wired together to create a solar array. The more solar panels used per project, the more power will be stored or used. The amount and intensity of sunlight, cloud cover and other weather conditions may affect the amount of power produced by solar panels.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "What happens on cloudy days?" Cloudy days can indeed decrease the amount of power your solar panels produce. Because of this, it is highly recommended that your home remain connected to the company that provides electricity in your area. When your panels produce an excess of power, your utility bill will be reduced. When they do not produce enough power, you will still be covered by your local utility company.
Solar Powered Planet
The sun is about 93 million miles from Earth. Solar power and solar energy are not new concepts. Our planet has used solar energy since the beginning of time. Without solar energy, life on Earth would not exist. The absence of solar energy would mean no plants, heat, food or people. The creation of products and technologies to help mankind harness some of that power was inevitable. Solar energy may even help reduce or reverse the decline of natural resources caused by fossil fuels.
While it is true that present manufacturing of solar components uses fossil fuels, the day is quickly coming when fossil fuels will be removed from the equation. As it stands now, use of fossil fuels are helping produce products that emit no pollution. The manufacturing process will be redefined as time allows.
Is Solar Right for You?
Each person has to make that decision on their own. Do your research on solar. How would it affect your quality of life? How would it impact your finances? Does your current location receive enough sunlight to allow proper function of solar panels? These questions and many more will help you make the decision. In the meantime, many utility companies are researching solar and finding ways to implement it on a much broader scale.